Journalist David Poole dies suddenly

David Poole covered NASCAR in a way no one else every could, his final
stories for the Charlotte Observer covered this past Sunday's NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series Talladega race; one filled with the usual racing drama.
Remembering David ...

David Poole covered NASCAR in a way no one else every could, his final
stories for the Charlotte Observer covered this past Sunday's NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series Talladega race; one filled with the usual racing drama.

Remembering David Poole.

Photo by Charlotte Observer.

It is with sadness that today, April 28, Motorsport.com has learned of the
unexpected death of a colleague. Poole was 50 at the time of his death. He
is survived by his wife Katy; sons Matthew and David; daughter Emily; and
his two-year-old grandson Eli.

Many of us who cover motor sports have had the honor to not only meet
Poole but see him in action. Poole was his own man who had guts,
integrity and ethics. He was one of the ultimate professionals.

O. Bruton Smith, Chairman and CEO, Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which
includes the Lowe's Motor Speedway just outside of Charlotte, said in
a press release today: "David Poole was a special person and a friend and I miss
him already. This is a big loss for the coverage of motorsports. He was
truly one of the nation's best and he always wrote what he believed.

"Whether you agreed with him or not, he made us all think and that's
what the best writers do. He cared about what he did and had a passion
for his work. It came through in what he wrote every day. David didn't
always write what was the popular opinion and I have a lot of respect
for that. To equal what he did, the Charlotte Observer will probably
have to hire three people. The world of racing is going to miss him for
a long, long time."

For 13 years, Poole was the one who covered NASCAR for the Charlotte
newspaper and it was not an easy task considering most of the teams have
their shops in or near the Charlotte area which kept him on the go when news
broke and he had a deadline to meet or the times he was searching for the
inside scoop. When NHRA ran for the first time at LMS, it was Poole who
covered not only the event but the construction of the new dragway. He did
it all when it came to motorsports action in the Charlotte area.

Remembering David Poole: David Poole talks with Marty Snider, his former co-host on Sirius NASCAR Radio's Morning Drive program.

Photo by NASCAR Public Relations.

If just being a reporter who put the pen to the paper, or in this day and
age hit the letters on a keyboard, to bring the news to the masses was not
enough, Poole hosted "The Morning Drive" on the Sirius NASCAR Radio. Many
of us looked forward to hear what he had to say as his passion for the sport
came across all the time and we all appreciated the fact he never held back
on the radio or in his words. Yet underneath that exterior of telling it
like it was, Poole was truly a gentle man with a heart of gold.

He was respected by many in the world of motor sports, including the
NASCAR staff, team owners and drivers.

Jimmie Johnson, the reigning Cup champion, said: "I am shocked and
saddened to hear the news that our sport has lost David Poole. My
thoughts go out to his family. He was someone who loved our sport and
wasn't afraid to voice his opinion. That's what made him one of the most
respected members of our media. I know I worked twice as hard to make
sure I earned his respect. I am proud of what he has done for our sport
and I know he will be truly missed by everyone in NASCAR."

Poole has won many awards including the National Motorsports Press
Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year award multiple
times.

"The NASCAR community is stunned and saddened by the loss of David
Poole. David was as passionate about NASCAR as anyone and had very
definitive opinions about the sport. He served the industry, and most
importantly the fans, through his reporting and commentary in the
Charlotte Observer and Sirius Satellite Radio. Our thoughts and prayers
go out to David's family and friends. He will be missed," stated NASCAR
Chairman and CEO Brian France.

Remembering David Poole at Daytona Media Day with Carl Edwards.

Photo by Eric Gilbert.

Poole was born on March 14, 1959 in Gastonia, N.C. He graduated from the
University of North Carolina in 1981 with a degree of journalism. His
writing career began in the halls of his local high school with the local
community newspaper. He stayed with the Gaston Gazette while in college and
after receiving his degree, he was named Sports Editor.

In April 1, 1990, Poole took a position with the Charlotte Observer
doing the usual copy editing, page layouts and had a column. In 1997,
his life changed when he was named the new NASCAR beat writer.

In a NASCAR podcast taken a few years ago, Poole said, "Consumed by
football, editors simply forgot to hire a successor, according to David,
who just happened to be off on the January '97 day when a boss called
desperate for someone to attend that year's NASCAR media tour."

He then added, "And a month later I was in Daytona at the 500 as the
Observer's beat writer and to this day, I'm not sure how that happened.
That was 10 seasons ago. And the woman who is now my wife -- she and I
were just friends at the time -- I told her about the opportunity and
she said, "Don't do it!" And she reminds me of that about three times a
week now."